~ By Tom Boggie

It’s amazing what a little horsepower will do. Just ask Marc Johnson or Bobby Hackel IV.

In the first three races of the season at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, neither Johnson, the defending modified point champion, or Hackel IV had finished in the top five.

Johnson was looking very un-champion-like, struggling to keep pace with his small block, which ate up the competition last season. Hackel went through two motors on opening night at Lebanon Valley Speedway, and had been making due with an old motor that had been sitting on the shelf ever since.

But after last Friday’s racing was over, both were finally happy with their performances. Johnson finished second to Stewart Friesen, while Hackel IV came across the finish line fourth. Both had simple explanations for their resurgence … horsepower.

Johnson dropped a big block into his Troyer chassis during the week, and the change was immediately evident. “The car was way better, at least it seemed like it was to me,” said Johnson. “Starting from the back every week, it just took so long to get going with the small block. I really don’t know what it is. I could come from the back last year, but this year, it seems to be more of a big block track.”

Suffice it to say the big block is going to stay in the 3J.

Stopping at Hackel’s hauler, I first ran into his father, and asked what they had under the hood. “We’ve got the Billy the Kid (motor) back,” Hackel III said. “It wasn’t really hurt that bad, but we were lucky we got it out when we did, because we found it had two broken pistons. It wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

“Everything works the way it’s supposed to when you’ve got a good motor,” said Hackel IV. “We’ve been learning a lot of things this year. We’re even learning things at the Bowl that we’re transitioning to here.”

I jokingly told Hackel IV I was waiting for disaster to strike while he was battling Brian Berger and Ricky Davis for second. “With how the season has been so far, I’m sure everyone was thinking that way,” he laughed.

Not everyone had their engine programs running smoothly last Friday. Matt DeLorenzo had to be pushed out of the pits for his heat race, and still couldn’t get the car to fire. His crew fixed the problem, but DeLorenzo then had to run the consi and started 27th in the feature. He worked his way back into the top 10, finishing ninth.

FONDA UPDATE
Officials at Fonda Speedway announced earlier this week that there will be just three more races left in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

After another night off this week, the Track of Champions will return to action on Saturday, Aug. 1; will run a show on Wednesday, Aug. 5; and then end the season with a Champions Night on Aug. 15. Should the Champions Night get rained out, it will be held on Saturday, Aug. 29.

STEWART’S CORNER
Stewart Friesen had another productive week. He picked up his second win of the season at Albany-Saratoga last Friday, finished a season’s-best fourth in the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series race at Texas on Saturday, ran second to Billy Pauch Jr. at BAPS Speedway in Pennsylvania on Sunday, and picked up a win Tuesday night at Penn Can. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was also suffering from writer’s cramp after autographing hundreds of diecast trucks commemorating his first career series victory at Eldora last year.

He made one miscue at BAPS, spinning out on the fifth lap while trying to get around Mat Williamson and going to the rear. Once he got back up to second, he had used up his tires and couldn’t get a serious run at Pauch.

His win at Penn Can was his fourth career victory at that speedway. He first ran at Penn Can in 2000, when he was campaigning his family-owned No. 10A sportsman. His wins at Penn Can came on Aug. 8, 2010 (in the Tadd Parks No. 1), Nov. 11, 2011 (also driving for Parks); and Oct. 16, 2010 (in the Jeff Daley No. 44).

With the truck series running a double-header at Kansas this weekend, Friesen won’t be at Albany-Saratoga on Friday night.

AROUND THE TRACKS
Fans are still talking about the hard hit that Chad Jeseo took on the final lap of the pro stock feature last Friday at Albany-Saratoga. Jeseo and Scott Towslee were battling for the win coming out of the fourth turn when the two made contact, turning Jeseo to the right and directly into the concrete wall. His car climbed the wall, overturned and a fire broke out in the engine compartment. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt. After reviewing the incident, track officials later disqualifed Towslee, who came across the finish line second.

Ricky Davis had a great run negated in the modified feature at Albany-Saratoga. Davis started fifth in his MAC Tools-sponsored modified and took the lead on lap 12. Davis was still running in the top five when he suffered mechanical problems on lap 33, and slowed dramatically on the front stretch, which resulted in James Meehan slamming into the rear of the Davis car.

Hackel followed up his second-place run at Malta with his third win of the season Sunday in the sportsman/modified feature at Devil’s Bowl. The Bowl will be running both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The Sunday card will include pro stocks, which will be running for $1,000 to win.

Sunday will be a big day for pro stocks. Glen Ridge Motorsports Park has also added a pro stock race to its card, and that one will pay $1,100 to win.

Derrick McGrew Sr. came out of retirement last Friday to run his son’s old car with the sportsman division at Albany-Saratoga. The former track champion failed to qualify. Ironically, McGrew Jr. also failed to qualify for the modified feature.

What’s wrong with Anthony Perrego? The former Orange County champion just can’t seem to get hooked up at Albany-Saratoga Speedway this year. He struggled to finish 18th last week, his worst run of the season. He avoided disaster in the modified consi, when his car jumped the cushion in turn one and came off all four wheels. But he gathered it in and went on to qualify for the feature.

Kyle Sheldon won last Saturday’s King of the Track modified feature at Lebanon Valley Speedway, taking home the top prize of $5,000. Sheldon even had to put an old motor in his car after damaging his primary motor the week before. His last win at the Valley came three years ago, also in the King of the Track feature.

Lebanon Valley modified driver LJ Lombardo is out for the season, as he will be having a second surgery on his back next week. He first had surgery following an accident in 2015.

The CRSA sprints finally got their season started last weekend at Canandaigua Speedway. Cory Sparks got the win while three-time series champion Jeff Trombley finished third.